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Commentary

Most Execs Use Social Media, Think CEOs Should Too

A large majority of corporate executives --
89% -- said they havea personal social media account, and 76% think it’s good for CEOs (meaning, their bosses) to publicly use social media, according to a new survey of 630
execs from companies with revenues of $500 million or more conducted by Weber Shandwick and KRC Research, titled “The Social CEO.”

Asked why it was a good idea for top execs to have a public social media presence, 75% of
respondents said it helps give the company a human face, as well as helping the CEO communicate with employees and build relations with the news media. Meanwhile 76% said having execs engage with
social media “shows innovation” and 78% said it can have a positive impact on the company’s reputation. 72% said it helps the CEO understand what is going on in the company, and 70%
said it has a positive impact on business results.

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Unsurprisingly, respondents were more likely to see CEOs who use social media as good communicators (55%, versus 38% for those who don’t) and were also more apt to see them as
inspiring (43%, versus 26% for those who don’t).

Social CEOs can take their game to the next level by blogging, according to the same survey, as 85% of execs say this “shows innovation” and 84% said it helps build
good relations with the press (compared to 76% and 75%, respectively, for CEOs who only use social media). 80% of execs surveyed said CEO blogging helps give the company a human face, and 76% think it
has a positive impact on business results.

Last year I wrote about a survey by BRANDfog which asked employees for their views on their bosses’ use -- or failure to use -- social media. 81% of respondents said they believe that
CEOs who engage in social media are better equipped than their peers to lead companies in the contemporary business environment, including “communicating values” and shaping a corporate
reputation; 82% said they were “more likely” or “much more likely” to trust a company whose CEO and top execs use social media; and 78% said they would prefer to work for a
company whose leadership is active on social media.